Fluid coupling



June 23, 1942.-

H. F. PATTERSON FLUID COUPLING Filed lay 4 1938 rnnnmnn 2 Sheets-Sheet l also@ Tra/aways.

Patented June 23, 1942 ruim couruNG 'Herbert F. Patterson, st. clair shores, Mich., assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland P Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application May 4, 193s, serial No. 206,038I

. 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a uid coupling.'A

(Cl. Gil-54) Aspect to the cover, and permitted to cool. During cooling the gear contracts to engage the outer One of the objects of the invention is to provide l l improved means for balancing a iiuid coupling and more particularly to provide balancing means which does not cause a reduction in the normal capacity of the 'working chamber for the fluid operating medium and which does not obstruct the normal' flow of the latter in the working chamber. l

Another object of the invention is to provide balancing means which may be adjusted .either as to Weight or position for satisfactorily 4balancing'a uid coupling.

Astill further object of the `invention is to.

provide balancing means of the above character Vfor a fluid coupling of themultiple runner type and to so construct and arrange the coupling structure that the balancing means is rendered readily accessibleboth for replacement and adjustment purposes when the structure is in assembled position. A Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved fluid coupling characterized by -simplicity voi? parts-for effectingv economies in manufacture and assembly lwhile maintaining the weight of the structure at a minimum.

-Othei objects and. advantages of the invention will be more, apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view, partly in section,1 of a uid coupling embodying the inven v tion.

Fig. 2 is an end view in elevation of the coupling shown in Fig. l, parts being broken away and in section, the view being taken as indicated by the line 2--2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a modiiied forni of the balancing means shown in Fig. l.v

In the drawings the reference character ID designates a power driving shaft, such as the4 crankshaft of the motor vvehicle engine, having an annular radial ange II for connection-with the combination ilywheel and cover structure,

generally indicated atl2. The latter structures includesa disc member I3 .having an enlarged peripheral portion I4, and a cover casing I5 having a channel I6 receiving the peripheral portion Il of the disc I3. The adjacent edge ofthev cover I5`is crimped as at -Il to engage the adjacent annular side face. of the enlarged peripheral portion I 4 of the disc.. A starter ring gear I8 yis secured to the outer surface of the channel I6 of casing I5, the gear Ipreferably being heated to a suitable temperature, slipped in place with rei vention is not to belimited Ato the multiple run-A ner arrangement and may be'emb'odied in its 55 surface of a channel I5.

The fluid coupling includes an impeller structure comprising the inner and outer similarly dishedcover members I9 and 20, respectively,v

between which extend the circumferentially spaced, radially arranged varies -2I; The spaces between adjacent vanes provide passages for a suitable fluid; such as oil entering at ,22 and curving'outwardly around cover I9 for discharge at 23 l The impeller structure is drivinglyv attached to the'disc I3v and for this purpose the member 20 is I3 has a counterbore receiving an annular shoul.

der 26 of bolt 25, the shoulder loverlapping and abutting the inner side face of the discadjacent the opening therein. In assembly the bolt 25 is threaded into the opening in the boss 24 for drawing the impeller structure into ixed position with respect to the disc I3, and for this purpose an auxiliary nut member having a suitable tool y engaging surfacemay be threaded onto the outer end of the bolt. The bolt is then engaged in the opening in the fiange II of the shaft Ill and the securing n ut 21 applied. The impeller structure is centered-with respect to the disc I3 by a ange 28, extended axially from the latter, while an oppositely extending iiange 29 centers the disc I3 and its companion structure with respect to the shaft I0. 1n this arrangement the bolts v25 constitute a common means for drivingly securing theimpeller structure to the flywheel and cover structure and for similarly securing the latter structure to the shaft I0.

The'uid medium delivered by the impeller structure at 23 passessuccessively to a plurality of segmental runner members consisting of a primary runner '30 and a secondary runner 31|.- While the secondary runner 3i is shown as disposed within the primary-runner, it will be understood that the invention is equally applicable to other arrangements of the runners.

It will be understood, of course, that the inbro'ader aspects` in a coupling .of the single runner type. 'I'he secondary runner 3| comprises inner and outer dished members 32 and 33, respectively,

between which extend the circumferential spaced, Y i

radially arranged vanes 34. The primary or outer runner 30 comprises the inner and outer dished members 35 and 36, respectively, between which extend the circumferentially spaced, radially ar'- During rotation of shaft. |I|

ranged vanes 31. fluid is delivered at 23 from the impeller struc ture to the adjacent spaces in the primary runner 30 provided by the vanes 31 thereof and is in turn delivered at 38 to the adjacent. spaces in the secondary runner 3| provided by the vanes 34 thereof. The operating fluid medium circulates during rotation of the shaft I around the annular vortex chamber indicated at 39 and bounded by the inner dished cover members I9, 32 and 35. The spaces provided by theI circumferentially spaced, radially arranged vanes 2|, 34 and 31 constitutes a working space or chamber for the fluid medium.

A coupling including a runner structure having a plurality of segments can be arranged in the manner set forth in my co-pending application Serial No. 171,162, led October 26, 1937, now Patent No. 2,203,177 granted June 4, 1940, and reference is made thereto for a typical illustration of-the manner in which the segmental runner elements can function in conjunction with associated mechanism.

The secondary runner segment 3| is suitably' xed, as by rivets 40 to a hub 4| drivingly sef bearing 49 carried by the axially extending portion 50 ofthe hub 5I for the structure I2. An axially oppositely extending portion 52 of hub 5| supports a. bearing 53 through which the shaft 46 extends. The hub 5| has a radially extending ange 54 to which the cover casing I 5 is secured by a plurality ofA circumferentially spaced bolts 55, the latter passing through aligned apertures in ange 54, cover I5, and a ring member 56. The latteris secured to the inner Aface of the cover I5 and the openings therein are threaded to receive a bolt 55, as is indicated in the sectioned portion of Fig. 1.

. It has been determinedl that an obstruction so disposed as to change the normal path of fluid results in power losses and therefore any protrusion in the uidworking chamber reduces the coupling efficiency. It is desirable, therefore, to properly balance the coupling without reducing its efficiency and with this in mind, the balancing means ,is illustrated in connection with outer runner member 30 is provided with a plu-v rality ofcircumferentially spaced bosses 58 extending inwardly into the vortex chamber 39.

As illustrated more particularly in Fig. 1, the bossV 59r has a threaded opening therein leading from theouter face of the member 35 for receiving'a balancing. plug. 59. endliwallhofx-the opening hasga port.` 3160. communicating with the chambery 39 to accommodate displacement of uid from the opening as the plug is inserted therein. The plug 59 has a groove in the outer face for receiving a tool and may be adjusted axially to the dethe plug when such action is desired. The coupling is preferably balanced after the parts Vthereof are in assembled position, as shown. Ac-

cess to the bosses for inserting or] adjusting the plugs 59 is had through either of the filler openings 6I in the cover casing I5 and a plurality of openings 62 in the dished member 36 o f the primary or outer runner 3|, it being understood that an opening 62 at all times registers with an opening in a boss inasmuch as the members 35 and 36 are connected by the vanes 31 and may be ro' tated as a unit into registering -relation with the filler opening. The latter is closed by the cap 63.

In furthering the objects of the' invention, I have provided means for balancing the secondary or inner runner member 3I. The inner dished member 32 of the latter has a plurality of-cir cum'ferentially spaced bosses 64A extending into the vortex chamber 39, each boss having a threaded opening for receiving a plug 65 in a manner similar to that illustrated and described in connection with the plug 59 for the primary runner 36. The end wall of the opening in the boss has a, port 66 through which iiuid is displaced as the plug is inserted therein. Access is -had to the boss 64 for inserting or adjusting the plug 65 through one of the ller openings v6I and opening '62 in the outer dished member 36 of the runner 30, and an opening 61 in the inner dished member 35 of the primary runner 30. The open' ing 61 is shown in the unbroken part of Fig. 2, it being understood that a similar opening may be provided in'a substantially, diametrically opposite portion of the member 35,. It will be understood that While some of the openings 62 at all times register with the opening in a boss 58, other of the openings 62 vare adapted to register vat all times with an opening 61 in the member 35. To gain access to the boss 64 in the inner dished member 32 of the secondary or inner runner, it is necessary to bring the openings 62 and 61 which are at all times in registering relation into alignment with an opening 6I in the cover casing I5.

The balancing means illustrated in Fig. 3 consists of a plurality of pellets disposed in the openings in the bosses v58 and64 of the primaryand secondary runners 30 and 3.I, respectively. The pellets 10 are preferably lead but may be formed from .other metals or compositions, if desired. A closure member 1I threadedly engages the walls of each of the` openings for retaining the pellets therein. Access is had to the openings receiving -the pellets in the manner described in connection modiiications will be apparent from the'teachings of my invention and scope thereof as dee fined in the appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. In a fluid coupling having a driving member and a pair of driven members, each of said -driven members, each of said members including annular inner and .outer cover structures with circumferentially spaced vanes extending generally radially between its cover structures, the

inner cover structures of said members forming an annular chamber about which the uid is circulated, the inner cover structure of one of said v members having a portion thereofA extending into said annular chamber, and balancing means for said last mentioned member carried by said portion, the cover structures of the other of said members having registering openings therein whereby said balancing means is rendered accessible.

3. In a uid coupling including an impeller structure and a plurality of runner structures',

each of said structures including outer and inner members bounding respectively a working chamber within which the fluid medium circulates and a non-working chamber about which the latter circulates, and balancing means carried by thek innerl member of each of said rimner structures and disposed substantially within said non-working chamber, the member .of one of said runner structures having openings therein adapted to accommodate access to the balancing means carried by the other of said runner structures.

4. In a uid coupling including an impeller structure and inner and outer runner structures, each of said structures including outer and inner members bounding 'respectively an outer chamber within which a fluid medium circulates and an inner chamber about which the latter circulates, balancing means carried by the inner member of each of said runner structures and .f

extending into said inner chamber in substantially unobstructed relationship with respect to the path of circulation of the iluid medium in the rst mentioned chamber, the inner and outer members of said outer runner structure having lregistering openings therein for accommodating` access to the balancing means for the outer runner structure, said last mentioned inner and outer members having other registering openings circumferentially spaced from said rst, mentioned registering openings for accommodating access to the balancing means 'for said inner-rune l ner structure.

HERBERT F. PATTERSON. 

